Conference programme announced for Ecobuild 2018

Ecobuild, the must-go-to event for forward-thinking professionals in the built environment, has announced the themes and inspiring speaker list for its 2018 conference programme.

Affirming the event’s commitment to sustainability, this year’s 70-plus-strong list of industry-leading expert speakers includes Paula Caballero, Global Director Climate Programme, World Resources Institute and the driver behind the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Lord Jack McConnell, co-chair of the APPG on the UN SDGs; Joan Walley, chair of the Aldersgate Group and former chair of Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee; and Bill Dunster OBE, Principal at ZEDfactory.

Under new independent ownership, ecobuild was committed from the outset to working in close collaboration with industry to develop a conference programme that reflects and tackles some of the challenging issues facing the built environment, while creating a workable action plan for change. All discussions at ecobuild 2018 will be concluded in a document as a legacy takeaway.

The result is a series of 16 high-profile conference sessions over three days, with an overarching focus centred around delivering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Topics to be covered include housing, behaviour change, the urgency of tackling resources, and compiling a sustainability report for the UK.

Day by day conference programme – an overview:

Day one will address the UN Sustainable Development Goals, New Urban Agenda and Paris Agreement with speakers including Paula Cabellero and John Elkington of Volans. The day will also feature discussions on London’s air pollution, led by Peter Murray, Chairman of New London Architecture; the possibilities of achieving zero carbon, chaired by Victoria Kate Burrows, Project Manager, Advancing Net Zero, World Green Building Council; and the opportunities of tech for the built environment.

On day two, Jane Duncan, Immediate Past President RIBA and Chair of the RIBA Fire Safety Advisory Group, will chair a session on construction quality post-Grenfell. Other discussions include the economics of housing; construction leadership with ideas from young professionals and chaired by Oliver Wainwright; behaviour change with Tony Juniper and Lord Deben and and whether it’s possible to make London carbon neutral by 2050.

On day three, Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive of UK Green Building Council, will chair a discussion evaluating the sustainability efforts of the UK built environment industry; Rowan Moore will chair a discussion on professionals ethics and, wrapping up the final day, Sue Riddlestone OBE, will chair a discussion on how the UK can make its commitment to sustainable construction and deliver the UN SDGs at home.

Martin Hurn, managing director of Futurebuild Events, said:

“The calibre of speakers joining us at ecobuild 2018 is fantastic. We are committed to working with recognised leading industry innovators to bring some thoughtful, achievable and effective ideas to the event. The line-up of topics and speakers is testament to that.

“Most importantly, each and every topic has been developed and shaped directly based on industry feedback – ecobuild 2018 is the industry’s event, and we want to ensure that every aspect of it is curated and approved by industry itself.”

Sue Riddlestone, OBE, Chief Executive of Bioregional and member of the ecobuild Steering Group, added:

“After being so closely involved in helping to create the Sustainable Development Goals that were agreed in 2015, I was very pleased that the conference steering group agreed unanimously that delivering the Goals should provide the conference focus. The range of topics that the conference is tackling will provide positive inspiration for the industry to contribute to achieving the task in hand.”